Some rebels in eastern Ghouta may soon agree to withdraw from the opposition enclave or accept rule by the Syrian state after big advances by the army into the area, a Syrian government minister said on Monday. Syrian government forces have splintered eastern Ghouta into three separate zones in a month-long assault to crush the last major opposition stronghold near Damascus, confronting the rebels with their biggest defeat since 2016. Ali Haidar, the Syrian minister responsible for such agreements, told Reuters in an interview that rebels in an enclave centered around the town of Harasta – one of three rebel pockets in eastern Ghouta – may be ready for such a deal. Haidar said there were contacts with Ghouta rebels and “to a certain extent there are acceptable results in part of the file”. He said “what remains of Ghouta is, I believe, open to discussion … to accomplish reconciliations at a certain level”.

Source: Egypt Independent March 19, 2018 13:18 UTC